Himeji-jo

Fearsome samurai warriors
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Saturday had been put aside to visit HimejiCastle, said to be the “most splendid Japanese castle still standing”. We jumped on a train, and 35 minutes later we had arrived in Himeji – and it was hailing. This didn’t deter us, even when it turned into rain. Upon looking for the correct exit from the station we came across a sign with a picture of the castle and telling us “It makes a U-turn”… Silence of the Lambs came to mind.

The castle was beautiful, though Adrienne would probably have enjoyed it a little more if she didn’t feel like hypothermia was about to set in. It had been taken apart and strengthened in the ‘60s, which would’ve been a monumental effort. Rows of weapons racks brought home how dangerous the era must have been, when it was built. There were secret rooms that warriors would hide in and attack their enemies from, if the castle was stormed. Very cool but it would’ve been scary at the time. Luckily we didn’t have to face any fearsome warriors but the 5 flights of incredibly steep stairs were enough to finish us off. Peter suggested that we invest in at least one umbrella from the Y100 shop – definitely worthwhile!

"...Silence of the Lambs came to mind."